?<strong>Chapter 552:</strong>


    Jake sighed in mock grievance. “It seems neither of you like me. You both don’t want to stick around with me.”


    Kallieughed, shaking her head. “You might want to give Sophie extrafort and ease her nerves. She’s simply shy, but she’lle around eventually. Why don’t you head home and get some rest? I’ll have more questions for you when I return.”


    “Okay.” Jake gave a nod. He leaned in and brushed a kiss against her forehead before departing.


    Kallie blushed, whispering, “Sophie’s still here.”


    Jake chuckled. “She’ll find out someday.”


    Sophie’s tears stopped, her curiosity piqued by their interaction. Did this mean Jake was going to be her new dad? He’d called her his daughter. Could it be true?


    Sophie suddenly realized she had epted everything surprisingly easily. She liked Jake quite a bit. Somehow, Jake made her feel safe, a warmth she hadn’t felt before, and she felt a strangefort just being near him.


    As night fell, ine came around. Her throat was dry and raw, her head pounding like a drum.


    Kallie quickly moved to ine’s side, helping her sit up, and offering a ss of warm water.


    The warm water soothed ine’s parched throat, easing the burn.


    shes of feverish nightmares crossed ine’s mind, the sensation of cold sweat on her skin. But now, she felt clean, her body wrapped in fresh hospital clothes. Someone had been taking care of her.


    For so long, since her parents had died, ine had learned to fend for herself, to shoulder and take care of her sister. Even when she was hurt or ill during filming, she would grit her teeth and manage on her own. It was the first time someone else had taken care of her. The warmth of that realization spread through ine’s chest like a balm, her eyes misting with tears.


    “Thank you, Kallie,” ine whispered, her voice barely audible, heavy with emotion.


    Kallie made ine morefortable by adjusting her backrest.


    “Thank you so much. If it hadn’t been for your quick reaction, Sophie would have been in real danger. She’s still so young. The doctor mentioned how lucky it was that an adult was involved. For a child or an elderly person, the same dose could have been deadly.”


    Kallie’s voice trembled, and her eyes filled with tears as she spoke. She looked at ine with deep appreciation.


    ine, processing the gravity of the situation, let out a sigh of relief. “I’m relieved it was me then.”


    ine stared at the ceiling, her face etched with a reflective sadness.


    “To be honest, selflessness isn’t usually my first instinct. At that moment, I wasn’t even sure what went through my mind. Now that I think about it, I do have some regrets. Why did I nearly throw my life away for someone who isn’t even family? Yet, if faced with the same choice, I’d do it all over again. Sophie reminds me so much of my younger sister. She was beautiful, brilliant, and always soposed, even as a young girl. If our parents had been around, I’m sure she would have had a wonderful future. Unfortunately…” ine paused, her eyes brimming with tears she held back.


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